We're three-quarters through 2024, and I thought I'd seen it all—OTC scams, Ponzi schemes, phishing attempts, shady Discord DMs, fake Elon Musk "airdrops," you name it. I was convinced I was untouchable when it came to this kind of stuff... and yet, here we are.
A few days ago, I checked my Farcaster message requests and found a "cooperation" proposal. It reeked of something shady right from the start, but the guy had 1.7k followers on Farcaster and was just one connection away from Borodutch. So, I figured, why not? I decided to reply.
So far so good. The guy doesn't sound like some Indian scammer screaming HALO SIR SEND MANI FAST. From the other hand, who tf wants to interview me? Idk, maybe someone with his own articles and interviews.
Telegram Dialogue
He asked the usual generic questions like, "What attracted you to web3 and crypto?" or "Are there any web3 projects you’re into?" But despite the basic questions, it felt like a real conversation with someone who actually knows how to communicate.
We chatted about freedom, regulations, Durov. At some point, he suggested we schedule a call. After over 200 messages back and forth, I had zero doubts about his legitimacy. So, I agreed... and that’s when things started to get weird.
The call
Tbh, this was the first time I saw the Brave Talk service, so I ignored the strange domain and proceeded to the page. And oh boy, that was a good scam site. Each button I clicked worked, and the domain seemed good enough. Plus, I was already blinded by this guy.
So I clicked to join the call. After some fake connection attempts, it said that my browser is not supported and suggested (and immediately started) downloading some Brave Talk app. At this point, I felt that something suspicious was coming, so I asked for clarification.
I believe he thought that he was losing me, so he proposed another app.
Again, the fully working site didn't have its domain marked as a scam by the browser, etc. However, I started my research: I looked through WHOIS and found that both domains are relatively new and registered at Namecheap with full privacy mode. I had enough doubts to stop it.
And this is how it ends. I deleted fake Brave installers, crossed himself three times, and went to bed.
The funniest part? I wasn’t even sure I’d made the right call until today. That’s how convincing he was. I ran through the site again, asked Perplexity for its take, and finally found my answer: I wasn’t the only one. I was one click away from disaster, but something held me back. And I totally agree with another guy who fell for the same bait:
Please be extremely cautious! These scammers are sophisticated and prey on unsuspecting professionals. If something feels off, trust your instincts and take immediate action.
Moral of the story? Trust no-one.
